Casey Regan

Waiting for Superman Essay

Educational Pyschology

Professor Butler

Waiting for Superman, a documentary directed by Davis Guggenheim, analyzes the American
public education system and how certain aspects of it are more problematic than any of us ever
realized. The film follows the stories of multiple different students from a variety of different
backgrounds; from Emily, a middle schooler from an affluent California suburb to Anthony, a
child who goes one of the poorest-performing school districts in Washington, D.C. Waiting for
Superman documents the students' experiences at their respective schools and demonstrates that
many of them are at a disadvantage due to the way the public school system works. The film also
visits different types of schools; “regular" public schools, charter schools, private schools,
schools with many resources, and schools with none. It tackles the subjects of school choice, the
No Child Left Behind Act, and the concept of “tracking" - some of which have a negative affect
on students.The documentary also shows the efforts of Michelle Rhee, the Washington D.C
school Chancellor, as she tries to change the conditions of the schools over which she operates
while simultaneously being challenged by Teachers Unions due to the layoffs and changes she
puts in place to do it. In addition to Michelle Rhee, Waiting for Superman also shows the story of
Geoffrey Canada, a public school teacher in Harlem who is determined to decrease the
occurrence of "dropout factories" in the United States.

I have never experienced public schooling. From ages three to 18, I attended a small private
school consisting of less than 1000 N-12 students. The headmaster knew every single student's
name, the biggest class size was around 20 individuals, and academic resources were plentiful.
Out of the eighty people I graduated with, all were expected to, and did attend, college. After
watching Waiting for Superman, I realized how much of a bubble I was in during my primary
and secondary education years; the film was a wake-up call. Seeing the pictures of the tattered
books students needed to use due to a lack of funding, the achievement gap, and the sheer
statistics of the dropout rates among middle and high schoolers was both astounding and
infuriating. While watching the film, I also felt conflicted; it made me even more grateful for my
education but it also made me question why the American public education system could not
provide the same education I was afforded to others.

The film definitely portrayed the state of the American public school systems well. There were
many instances and statistics shown that prove indisputable, such as the idea of the "lemon
dance" that goes on within the public school system. However, with every documentary there is
bias, and it is clear that the director was trying to get a certain point across in this film. This is
especially evident when presenting the idea of charter schools versus "regular" public schools, as
well as the portrayal of Michelle Rhee. While the film it accurately portrayed the stories of the
students and their struggles with the public school system, it failed to show the struggles of many
teachers, as well. Many believed that it "painted the teachers as villainous" (Gabriel, 2010) in
certain scenes. Additionally, it could be said that the film portrayed the American Federation of
Teachers' president, Randi Weindgarten, in a negative light; many believed that she, along with
her organization, were shown to be stubborn and uncollaborative when faced with Michelle
Rhee's proposition to increase pay with a tenure cut (Gabriel, 2010). Additionally, critics pointed
out the fact certain aspects of the film were out of date, including the presence of "rubber
rooms", which were rooms that teachers who were suspended or reprimanded spent their hours
while waiting for a hearing (Gabriel, 2010). These rubber rooms were closed before the film
came out, which could have misled some viewers into thinking they are still in existence.

In the almost decade since this film has been made, the question often arises; are we still waiting
for Superman? Are we still waiting for that one person, or organization, in a position of power to
truly change and save our education system? My answer to that question is this; absolutely.
Things have changed since then, of course; but American public school students are still
suffering.

One cannot say that there has been no progress since the making of this film; of course there has
been some progress since 2010 in terms of the public education system. "Race to the Top", a
program proposed and put into place by President Barack Obama in 2010, is a grant that awards
states who are "leading the way with ambitious yet achievable plans for implementing coherent,
compelling, and comprehensive education reform" (U.S Department of Education). These plans
include "turning around" lower achieving schools within the states, preparing college prep
programs, and retaining and rewarding effective teachers, among other things (U.S. Department
of Education). Additionally, during President Obama's turn in office, his administration stressed
the importance of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathmatics) when it comes to the
American public education system. In addition to investing more than $1 billion in improving
STEM education, more than 350 colleges and universities committed to "providing pathways for
undereppresented students to attain STEM degrees" (Handlesman & Smith, 2016).

However, there is much more work to be done within America's education system before we can
consider it to be truly fixed. When it comes to academic achievement in science and math, the
United States has consistently performed poorly when compared to other industrialized nations.
In mathematics, the United States ranks 38th out of 71 countries; in science, the U.S ranks 24th.
According to Stephen Heynemen of Vanderbilt University (2015), the American public school
system, when compared to other similar industrialized nations, is less efficient when compared to
other countries. Essentially, American students are not performing as well when compared to
countries like Finland, South Korea, and Japan (among others) despite the higher amount of
money that is spent on each student (Heynemen, 2015). Additionally, there is a large disparity
between the achievement of those with a higher socio-economic background and those with a
lower socio-economic background. This could be because of many different reasons. Firstly, the
schools in which those who are of lower socio-economic status are performing poorly due to lack
of funding for resources such as technology, academic support, and more. Additionally, many
students that are categorized as "underachievers" in the public education system are often already
stereotyped that way due to preconceived notions. According to Markus Appel, this adds a
"stereotype threat", which essentially "prevents members of stereotyped groups to perform to
their full ability" (2012). Appel suggests that these stereotype threats are "detrimental" to a
student's ability to not only perform well, but learn (Appel 2012). This added pressure to these
students only widens the achievement gap.

Through watching this film and researching the subject, I have found that the American public
school system is fractured. While it is true that many students are succeeding, others are being
left in the dust. Students from lower socio-economic backgrounds are being ignored, which
allows for the achievement gap to only grow wider. America's poor performance on the
international scale is a reflection of the lack of efficiency of American schools. While the United
States is making great strides, it is necessary to recognize that in order for the school system to
be repaired, all students must have equal opportunities. Superman does not just rescue some; he
rescues all.